Eric Pavlak is the Chief Information Security Officer for the Non-Profit Technology Assurance Group (NPTAG).

These are his words about IDS philosophy and why he chose MetaFlows to protect his business.

“Why MetaFlows?

I have at my disposal an array of security-focused tools with which to enforce various aspects of enterprise security.   Encryption, antivirus, firewalls, etc.  These tools, when configured and functioning properly each provide their own layer of security, and the combination of security layers provides the best defense.  Despite this approach, the reality remains that organizations can fully comply with the laws that drive security compliance and yet still be vulnerable, if not compromised.

Intrusion Detection provides an independent awareness of the nature of network traffic flow, and quite possibly the greatest level of assurance that security systems are configured and operating properly.  I believe Ronald Reagan’s use of the phrase ‘Trust but verify’ succinctly describes the reason for IDS, and that enterprise security without verification is quite possibly the most undeserved and misplaced trust one can give.  It is tantamount to complacency.

It is my experience that IDS traditionally comes in two flavors:  ‘Roll-your-own’ (Snort) and ‘obscenely expensive’.  While snort is venerable, it does require its own measure of technical expertise to deploy properly; and as is the case with many open-source products, responsibility for its proper functioning is not underwritten by anyone.  They are essentially provided ‘as-is’ and without warranty, leaving the onus solely with the end-user to ensure interoperability and efficacy.

I have a distinct set of criteria necessary to adopt a product:

•         Affordability – There is a delicate balance between cost and justification.  While there are other competing products out there, it remains clear that organizations, faced with tough fiscal decisions, will simply not implement these solutions if they are not perceived as affordable.

•         Reporting – While secondary to affordability, my opinion is that it is pointless to implement any solution that does not have reporting capability.   As the field of security compliance continues to grow, documenting evidence of compliance will play an ever-increasing role.

•         Support – In my opinion, this distinguishes an enterprise-ready product from one geared for the hobbyist.  Additionally, in legal parlance: without the exchange of money, you have no reasonable expectation to product performance.  Colloquially: ‘you get what you pay for’.

After a rigorous search and careful consideration, Metaflows is the best tool for the job.”